Insulated rear head for transport tank and/or storage tank

ABSTRACT

An insulated rear head for a tank comprising an outer head and an inner head. The inner head is spaced away from the outer head, creating an insulation cavity. The insulation cavity is filled with an insulating material to prevent heat gain or loss from the product contained within the tank.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/239,792, filed Oct. 9, 2015, the entirety of which is herebyincorporated by reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

The disclosure relates generally to trailered transport tanks, e.g., atank trailer pulled by a semi, or storage tanks. More particularly, aninsulated rear head is disclosed as part of the tanks.

Description of the Related Art

Tank trailers and storage trailers are known in the art and are capableof receiving product within the trailer. The product will comprise atemperature upon loading into the trailer. Known trailers do not providean insulation at the rear head of the trailer, thus allowing the productwithin the trailer to gain or lose heat. The present invention addressesthis problem.

The figures and the detailed description which follow more particularlyexemplify these and other embodiments of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partial side view of a tank of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a tank of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a cutaway cross-sectional view of one embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the invention is amenable to various modifications and alternativeforms, specifics thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings anddescribed in detail herein. It should be understood, however, that theintention is not to limit the invention to the particular embodimentsdescribed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications,equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of theinvention.

The present invention provides an insulated rear head that is connectedto the rear end of a tank capable of storing product within. See, e.g.,exemplary trailer tanks manufactured by Polar® Tank Trailer, Inc.,located in Holdingford, Minn. The subject tank may comprise a trailertank that is mobile by connection to a powered truck. The combination ofthe trailer tank and powered truck, commonly known as a “semi”, is usedto transport product. In other cases, the subject tank may comprise agenerally non-mobile storage tank.

In some cases, the subject tank, whether a tank trailer or a storagetrailer, may comprise a rear head that may, or may not, be openable. Therear head in all of the inventive embodiments comprises an insulationlayer to ensure that the temperature of the product contained within thetank is maintained to the extent possible.

The insulated rear head of the present invention is designed tosealingly close against the rear end of the subject tank by bolts orother equivalent fasteners, to ensure that the contents therein do notleak and maintain its temperature by minimizing temperature gain or lossthrough the known non-insulated rear head.

FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a tank 100 according to the presentinvention. As discussed above, tank 100 may be a trailer tank withwheels and means for connecting with a powered truck as is commonlyknown in the art or may comprise a generally stationary storage tankwith support feet or anchors as is also commonly known.

Tank 100 is generally hollow with inlets and outlets to enable inflow,outflow and storage of product within the hollow area. Front head 102and rear head 104 are in communication with a main tank body 106. Asshown, rear head 104 comprises an external surface generally smoothlyradiused concave side profile. FIG. 2 illustrates that the exemplaryrear head 104 of FIG. 1 comprises a substantially circular profile whenviewed from the front of tank 100 that matches up with the generallycircular and cylindrical cross-sectional profile of main body 106 oftank 100 to enable rear head 104 to seal against the main body 106.Stated differently, the diameter D₁ of main body 106 and the diameter D₂of rear head 104 are equivalent in order to attain a seal when rear head104 is closed against main body 106. A second variable is that thecross-sectional profile of the main body 106 of tank 100 and the endprofile as in FIG. 2 of the rear head 104 must be complementary so thatthey achieve a sealing fit.

Though FIG. 1 illustrates a smoothly radiused side profile, that is onlyan example as other side profiles are within the scope of the presentinvention. The only requirement is that the rear head 104 and main body106 achieve a sealing fit when the rear head 104 closes against mainbody 106.

As discussed above, rear head 104 may sealingly engage the end of mainbody 106 of tank 100 with a series of bolts or other connection meansthat allow pressured sealing, and releasing, of the rear head 104against main body 106. Rear head 104 may also comprise a hingingmechanism, preferably located on the top of rear head 104 but may alsobe located on, e.g., one of the sides of rear head 104, to facilitateopening and closing of the rear head 104.

Turning now to FIG. 3, the rear head 104 is shown in cross-section. Rearhead 104 comprises an outer head 108 and an inner head 110 spaced awayfrom the outer head 108 and in operative connection with each other. Theregion between the outer head 108 and inner head 110 is the insulatedcavity 112 of the rear head 104. The insulated cavity 112 comprises aninsulating material to assist the product within tank 100 to maintainthe temperature that it had when loaded into the tank 100. In this way,the inner head 110, insulated cavity 112 and the outer head 108 form alayered structure that assists in limiting heat gain or loss from therear head 104.

As shown, the radii of the exemplary inner and outer heads 110, 108 aresubstantially equivalent and are both generally concave incross-sectional profile. In this case, the insulated cavity 112 willcomprise a uniform shape and thickness or width, i.e., distance frominner head 110 to outer head 108. In other embodiments, the inner head110 may comprise a cross-sectional profile that is not substantiallyequivalent to the cross-sectional profile of the outer head producing aninsulating cavity 112 that is not uniformly shaped and will have anon-uniform thickness or width from the inner head 110 to the outer head108.

The descriptions of the embodiments and their applications as set forthherein should be construed as illustrative, and are not intended tolimit the scope of the disclosure. Features of various embodiments maybe combined with other embodiments and/or features thereof within themetes and bounds of the disclosure. Upon study of this disclosure,variations and modifications of the embodiments disclosed herein arepossible, and practical alternatives to and equivalents of the variouselements of the embodiments will be understood by and become apparent tothose of ordinary skill in the art. Such variations and modifications ofthe embodiments disclosed herein may be made without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, all alternatives,variations, modifications, etc., as may become to one of ordinary skillin the art are considered as being within the metes and bounds of theinstant disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rear head for a tank, comprising: an outer headhaving a cross-sectional profile; an inner head having a cross-sectionalprofile and in operative connection with the outer head, and spacedapart from the outer head; and an insulating cavity defined by thespacing of the outer head from the inner head and the cross-sectionalprofiles of the outer head and the inner head, the insulating cavityfurther filled with insulating material.
 2. The rear head of claim 1,wherein the cross-sectional profile of the inner head and thecross-sectional profile of the outer head are substantially similar. 3.The rear head of claim 2, further comprising the insulating cavityhaving a cross-sectional profile with a width that is substantiallyuniform.
 4. The rear head of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectionalprofile of the inner head and the cross-sectional profile of the outerhead are not substantially similar.
 5. The rear head of claim 4, furthercomprising the insulating cavity having a cross-sectional profile with awidth that is not substantially uniform.
 6. A tank comprising: a mainbody; a front head sealingly attached to the main body; a rear head inopenably sealing communication with the main body and furthercomprising: an outer head having a cross-sectional profile; an innerhead having a cross-sectional profile and in operative connection withthe outer head, and spaced apart from the outer head; and an insulatingcavity defined by the spacing of the outer head from the inner head andthe cross-sectional profiles of the outer head and the inner head, theinsulating cavity further filled with insulating material.
 7. The rearhead of claim 6, wherein the cross-sectional profile of the inner headand the cross-sectional profile of the outer head are substantiallysimilar.
 8. The rear head of claim 7, further comprising the insulatingcavity having a cross-sectional sectional profile with a width that issubstantially uniform.
 9. The rear head of claim 6, wherein thecross-sectional profile of the inner head and the cross-sectionalprofile of the outer head are not substantially similar.
 10. The rearhead of claim 9, further comprising the insulating cavity having across-sectional profile with a width that is not substantially uniform.